Princetons debate cost of concrete vs. steel-lined community pool

PRINCETON -- The two Princetons are a step closer to building a new community pool that they hope will serve area residents for the next several decades, although discussion over whether the pool should be steel or concrete came up again at the borough council meeting Tuesday.

Meanwhile, bids are in for the controversial project. The lowest bid, for a concrete pool, came in at just under $5.8 million. The borough and township have budgeted $6.1 million for the project.

“Everyone is anxious to get the construction started as soon as the pool closes after September,” said Kevin Wilkes, president of the borough council. “People have done their homework. We’ve had close to 10 public meetings, and numerous committees have put a lot of effort into this. Now it’s time to get things rolling.”

At the borough council meeting Tuesday, some council members still questioned whether a concrete pool is the best choice. A recreation department committee had previously recommended a pool with a steel liner that would be easier to maintain.

Bids for a steel pool came in higher than bids for a concrete pool, ranging from $6.3 million to $7.9 million.

Although the joint recreation board unanimously endorsed the lowest bid for a concrete pool last week, Councilman David Goldfarb questioned whether steel would save more money in the long term, given that concrete would need regular maintenance.

“The difference in bid prices is not that dramatic,” Goldfarb said. “The reduced costs in maintaining steel could more than make up for the difference in bid prices. We should do an analysis to see whether the steel pool would justify the additional expense,” he said.

Wilkes, an architect, said it is doubtful that a steel pool could be installed by next summer. And some council members asked to see all of the data regarding the bids before they vote to approve a bid.

“It sounds like we are almost going back to square one,” said Mayor Mildred Trotman.
“Everyone wants to keep the pool open the few months of the year we have it,” Wilkes said. “People are concerned about potential delays.”

The borough council and township committee will vote to select a bidder at a joint meeting in late July. The governing bodies have already approved bonds to fund the project. A private foundation has agreed to raise $1 million for the pool, and the recreation department will be responsible for another $1 million, to be raised through user fees.